‘Frustrated’ residents tie shoes to bridge in protest

‘INDIGNANT’ Shoreham Beach residents have tied their shoes to Adur Ferry Bridge in protest after the council postponed a review of the area’s long-awaited revamp until next year.

The unusual spectacle of old shoes being tied to the south side of the bridge has accumulated over the last week following the Adur County Local Committee (CLC) meeting, where the Ferry Bridge scheme was removed from the agenda due to a complication with Lower Bridge Road.

Currently organising a petition to try to speed up the process, Shoreham Beach resident Liz Coward said she wanted to see results.

“At the meeting, I was so indignant that the item was whisked off the agenda that I put a post on the New Shoreham-by-Sea Facebook page and noticed that a lot of other people shared my frustration,” she said.

At the CLC meeting on December 3, committee chairman Janet Mockridge said the council had learned that Lower Bridge Road could be an historic hard and may need protection; therefore, an approval for the Ferry Road revamp was postponed until the next CLC meeting in February, 2015, to allow time for the issue to be resolved.

Liz said: “In response, one resident suggested we tie our shoes to the south side of the bridge to signify that we want somewhere safe to walk.

“It took another brave resident to go down and put the first shoe on, and now others have slowly put their shoes down. The idea has really taken off.”

Along with several residents, Liz is organising a petition to speed up the process of the Ferry Road improvements.

“We’re also planning to do a march and a placard work shop.

“This is the start of a whole campaign to get the bridge and the Ferry Road scheme finished,” she said.

The proposal sets out to landscape the area, including Lower Beach Road, the car park, and introducing outside seating, among other improvements.

“It’s very much a people’s movement,” added Liz.

A child’s shoe tied to the bridge is accompanied by a note that states: ‘Dear Santa, please fix the mess here at the bridge’.

A meeting, organised by residents, is to be held tonight (Thursday) at Tomfoolery Coffee Company, High Street, Shoreham, at 7pm.

Liz said the meeting would give people a chance to learn more about the proposal and discuss what could be done to move things forward.